


A Brief Adventure in Pet Care

by AetherBunny



Series: M'alls Well that Ends Well. [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Retail, Crack Treated Seriously, Fluff and Crack, Gen, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Shopping Malls, does lou count as an OC?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-16
Updated: 2018-08-16
Packaged: 2019-06-28 08:53:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15703917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AetherBunny/pseuds/AetherBunny
Summary: Pete and Ned find somebody's pet alone in the mall. Now if they can only track down who it belongs to.





	A Brief Adventure in Pet Care

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to post a different fic in the series next, the one with the mall map? But I can't get the images to load properly. So in the mean time have this rat.

If Peter Parker wasn't in the mall somewhere with Shuri, he was in the mall with Ned. The boys tended to get a little goofier than Pete did with Shuri, but they never caused any actual trouble for anybody so nobody really minded.

 

This particular day had the boys looking a little nervous as they entered the mall proper.

 

“Darcy. Hey Darc, c'mere!” Peter whisper shouted over the back partition of the Starbucks.

 

“What's up kid?”

 

“Okay we have something to show you and don't freak out. We just need some help.”

 

“I'm not going to be put on a watch list for this am I?”

 

“What kind of watch list?” Ned asked.

 

“No! We just found something and need help getting it where it's supposed to be.” Peter tried to keep them on topic.

 

“And I'm going to be able to help with that? I guess I do see pretty much everybody in the mall, maybe I can help? Okay then shoot.”

 

“Show her Ned.” Ned opened his backpack to reveal a rat. Not a wild rat, but a slightly plump pet rat who appeared to be wearing part of a sock as a shirt.

 

“Like, that's clearly somebody's pet. We coudn't just leave him by the elevators!” Ned went to scoop it out of his bag, but Peter stopped him.

 

“It's got to belong to somebody here right?It's too small to make the motion doors go and it was already in the building? We don't want to take it to security and get anybody in trouble.” Peter glanced around to check for officers.

 

“Uh? This is out of my wheelhouse boys. I'm not really a rodent person. Try Doreen? I mean her insta is literally Squirrelgirl?”

 

“Oh yeah great idea!”

 

“I love Mayhem Mekaniks so much! Robbie is so cool.” Ned was eager to take Darcy's suggestion.

 

–

 

“Aw, what a cute little guy! I've never seen him before though.” Doreen was petting the rat. “Boyrats are pretty lazy you should be okay with him hanging out in the backpack. If he gets fussy maybe find him a snack? They can eat pretty much anything but don't give him too much sugar. Somebody obviously loves him, he's got that swanky little sweater. But if you can't find his people you can bring him back to me and I'll find him a home. If you don't want to keep him yourselves!”

 

“What's in the bag? Whoa hey there little buddy!” Robbie Reyes had his hand in Ned's backpack too.

 

“The boys found somebody's pet in the mall and want to reunite him with his owner.”

 

“Who brings a pet to the mall? Who brings a RAT to the mall? Seems like a bad idea? Have you guys checked with Sam yet? He knows everything, I'm sure he'd know about a random-ass rat in the mall. If he gives you trouble about having him tell him I sent you!”

 

“Don't swear on the floor!”

 

“I don't see any kids in earshot!”

 

“Okay but don't let Frank hear you!” Doreen warned her coworker.

 

“I'm not afraid of Frank!”

 

\--

 

“I just want to be half as cool as Robbie some day, for real.” Ned admitted on their way across the mall.

 

“I think your mom would kill you for trying.”

 

“Yeah, but it would be worth it. Hey I don't think I want to take him to Sam yet. What if he gets everybody in trouble! I want the little guy to have a good time. Lets get him some fries or something.” Ned cradled his backpack.

 

“We should get him something healthier than fries, you heard Doreen.” Peter thought somebody had to be the responsible one.

 

“She said sugar not fries!”

 

“I don't want to feed him junk!”

 

“Okay, fine let's try the new pita place then I'll split one with you.”

 

“Alright.”

 

“Look we worked through our first fight as parents! It's good we have such a strong foundation for our relationship! Hey can rats have falafel?”

 

–

 

Pita in hand the boys decided it was best to take their meal down stairs. Peter didn't work in the mall but since he was so strongly associate with Shuri the staff stopped questioning it. The three of them ate alone for a few minutes before being joined by a mall employee. She seemed to only be interested in getting something from the vending machine, and they hoped she'd be on her way quickly.

 

“What is in your backpack?”

 

“What?”

 

“You keep putting bits of food in your backpack, are you just making a mess?” Peter didn't know the woman's name but he recognized her as one of the employees of the kitschy beauty products store.

 

“It's nothing.” Ned added.

 

“You just put half a french fry on your school books then?” She tipped her head. “Can I see it?”

 

“Fine.” Ned opened the bag to reveal their stowaway.

 

“OH! A pet! Can I pet it?” She folded her hands in front of her in a weirdly bug-like gesture.

 

“Sure.” Peter knew it was going to be the wrong thing to do but she looked so excited to see him. She scooped up the nibbling rat and stroked his face.

 

“What is it's name?”

 

“We don't know, we found him. We think he belongs to somebody in the mall.”

 

“I do not know who brings animals to the mall, but you could see if somebody sells the sock he is wearing?”

 

“Thats actually a really good idea.” Pete conceeded.

 

'Thank you for letting me pet your pet.” She set the rat back in the bag. “I'm going to get tiny cookies before my shift. Have a good day!” She happily got her snack and went on her way.

 

“Weird. So I think it's probably a men's sock. It's kinda big and even though it has polka dots it's still boring. A ladies sock would be more fun.” Ned scratched behind the rat's ear.

 

–

They checked a couple of men's stores and even went into Kimoyo, but no luck. They had one place left and it was the place they had been avoiding, Redwing. Sam worked at Redwing. Sam who was waiting by the door to greet whomever came in.

 

“Hey kid.”

 

“Hi Sam do you guys sell socks?”

 

“Yeah, you need some new ones?”

 

“Kinda.”

 

“Who kinda needs new socks?”

 

“We just like looking at socks, they're uh, cool.” Ned wasn't helping.

 

“I'm going to pretend I don't think you're hiding something and take you to the socks.” Sam lead them to the back of the store. He stood there and watched the pair of them check out the rotating display.

 

“Look! A match! We have a lead!”

 

“A lead for what?” Wilson was not giving up without a fight.

 

“Okay fine, but we don't want to get anybody in trouble. We found this, Ned show him.” Peter motioned to the bag. Ned opened it and with one short look inside Sam cracked their whole case.

 

“That's Lou. He's Marc's emotional support animal. He's probably loosing his mind over at that creepy swords store. That guy is absolutely the strangest person I've ever met in my entire life. I swear he's a different person every time I see him. Don't let him talk you into buying anything, but I'm sure he'll be grateful to have him back.”

 

–

 

“Hi, uh, we're looking for Marc?” Peter adressed the wired looking man perched behind the counter like a gargoyle.

 

“Who's asking?”

 

“Uh, I'm Peter, that's Ned we found Lou?”

 

“Oh, thank god, is he okay?” The man unfolded himself from a stool that should have been too small to support him.

 

“He's cool, we gave him lunch too.” Ned fished him out of his bag and handed him to Marc. Once the man had looked his companion over he turned back to the boys.

 

“Thanks guys, he uh, he means a lot to me. Youcannnummmm wait.” The truly strange man put Lou on the counter and fished around in his pockets for a moment and pulled out a handful of something.

 

“Here, you can take one these as a reward.They're good luck. Find your favorite.” He held out a handful of differently sized wooden beads. “Lou makes them. He took to art therapy better than I did. Don't worry I paint them after he chews on them.” Peter took a quick glance and decided on a green one. Ned took a little longer looking over a few of them before picking a red one.

 

“Good choices. I really uh. Can't thank you guys enough. You cannnstop here any time and visit if you want.” He petted the rat who chewed it's teeth contentedly.

 

“Okay, yeah. We're glad we got you guys back together. We've gotta go do homework!”

 

  
“Yeah. I”m good with history if you ever need help!”

 

“We'll remember that!” Peter did his best to steer Ned away from the swords and get the both of them out the door.

 

\--

 

Before the boys went to totally not do homework they stopped back at Mayhem Mekaniks to let Doreen know they found the rat's owner.

 

“Hm, I don't think I've ever even been in that store? I'll have to go by and look.”

 

“I won't lie to you ma'm, it's kind of shady.” Ned explained. “The rat guy was even shadier.”

 

“Oh I'm not worried about that!”

 

“Suit yourself!” he shrugged.

 

–

The boys decided to tell Darcy the rat was back home as well.

 

“Oh, that guy?” She reconized the rat's owner after the boys described him. “I think he works at Redwing's too. He's always really well spoken and polite?”

 

“Maybe he has a twin?” Peter shrugged.

 

“Maybe? I've never seen them in the same place at the same time though? I've never really seen the rat guy at all. You think if they were related you'd see them together? I mean I can identify a lot of relationships in the mall.”

 

“Now you have something to look out for I guess?”

 

“Yeah I'll keep my eyes open, thanks guys. See you later!”

 

“Bye Darcy! Later!”

 

On their way to get picked up Ned turned to Peter.

 

“Hey I kinda miss the little guy already, do you think you'd want to adopt?”

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I definitely have actors in mind to be Doreen and Marc, but the jury is still out on Robbie. 
> 
> Yes, Lou is totally going to be a reoccurring character. He was born out of some long ago inside joke with my brother and has existed in our Marvel universe since then. Now I get to bring him to this one. He's a good boy.


End file.
